The gates of towns were kept open or shut ac cording to circumstances ; in time of war they were closed against the inroads of the enemy (Josh. ii. 5), but they were opened when the enemy had been conquered. On festive occasions they were also thrown wide open ; to which Ps. xxiv, 7 alludes. This opening of the gates, as well as closing them, was done by means of keys. That near the gates towers were often constructed, serving for defence against attacks of the enemy, may be in ferred from Dent. iii. 5 ; 2 Sam. xviii. 24 ; Judg. ix. 35, comp. with 52. So Juvenal (Sat. vi. 291) puts the towers of the gates for the gates them selves. Virgil ce-En. vi. 554) represents the infer nal gate as having a tower. Enemies, therefore, in besieging towns were most anxious to obtain possession of the gates as quickly as possible (Deut. xxviii. 52 ; Judg. ix. 40 ; 2 SaM. X. 8 ; xi. 23 ; Kings viii. 37 ; Job v. 4 ; Is. xxii. 7 ; xxviii. 6) ; and generally the town was conquered when its gates were occupied by the invading troops (Dem. xxviii. 57 ; Judg. v. S). This observation is made also by several Greek and Roman authors (Hero dian, Histor. i. 12, sec. 14; Virgil, 2E7Z. 8027 seg.) In or near the gates, therefore, they placed watch men, and a sufficiently strong guard, to keep an eye on the movements of the enemy, and to defend the works in case of need (Judg. xviii. 16 ; 2 Kings
vii. 3 ; Neb. xiii. 22 ; see Herodian, Histor. 111. 2, sec. 21 ; Virgil, "En. ii. 265 seg., 335).
We read that some portions of the law were to be written on the gates of towns, as well as on the doors of houses (Deut. vi. 9 ; xi. 2o) ; and if this is to be literally understood, it receives illustration from the practice of the Moslems in painting pas sages of the Koran on their public and private gates. Various artificial figures and inscriptions were engraved on their gates by the Romans (Virgil, Georg. iii. 26, seq.) Criminals were punished without the gates (1 Kings xxi. 13 ; Acts vii. 58), which explains the passage in Heb. xiii. 12. The same custom ex isted among the Romans (see Plant. Glories. act ii. sc. iv. 6, 7). At Rome executions took place without the Porta Metia or Esquilina. As to the gate through which Christ was led, before his crucifixion, opinions differ ; some taking it to have been the dung-gate (Lamy, Apparel. Geograph., c 13, sec. 3, p. 320 ; others, following Hottinger (cilp. Nebr. p. 16) and Godwyn, understand it of the gate of judgment. But for all that concerns the gates of Jerusalem, we must refer to the article